Discussion Board Question

1. Did you know that free software exists on the internet right now that you can download and use? It's not only free but oftentimes powerful and just as good as some of the brand-named industry-standard software that you're already using? This is open-source software and it's created by some real geniuses, just like you.

I'm sure you're asking yourself, "So wait a minute...If it's free, why aren't we all using it?" Well, there are some drawbacks to using open-source software. Do some research on your own, examine the benefits and drawbacks for using open source software. See if you can uncover why some people are concerned about its use and why others use it exclusively. Then in a few sentences do the following:
Share your findings and your perspective.

Are you comfortable recommending open-source software to a company you work for?

What about if you started your own company, would you consider its use?

Who would you blame (or sue) if something went wrong?

2. You have been learning a lot of useful information this week. Let's discuss disk thrashing, troubleshooting disk book issues, and how to deal with lag and/or constantly crashing apps. This is some of the meat that IT workers love to feast upon!

While on the job, you'll be speaking with individuals who are desperate to get back up and running. You might even think of these extremely upset people as "freaking out". Of course, we understand that they're just having some kind of hardware or software malfunction. However, their data is usually on the hard drive somewhere, you just have to locate and protect it. If you've worked in another field and have experienced this catastrophic situation, then you can certainly relate.

How would you handle a situation like this where people are extremely upset?

What would you do to display your concern and that you're going to do your best to solve the problem?

How would you react if you were upset and the IT technician utters these words: "Sorry, I'm unable to help you"?

Describe the best way to deal with the human part of computer work. Give some tips on what you'd prefer IT to say when they've arrived to help you.

3. Pre-Built or Custom-Built?

It can be very overwhelming trying to find the right computer to purchase. For example, maybe your customer wants a computer that has three HDMI outputs for three different monitors on his or her workstation. You are aware from your education here that integrated graphics cards can be disabled, and you can plug in a peripheral graphics card to handle the additional output. However, you won't get the fastest and best performance with this configuration. It's best to use a motherboard without integrated graphics.

When a client sends you specific requirements for a computer, the easiest thing to do is find an off-the-shelf computer that meets all the requirements. If the client wants an i7 processor with 16 GB of DDR RAM, that's easy, but what about if the client wants a 1TB SSD with a 2TB HDD and four internal DVD R/W drives? That might be a little more difficult. You may also want to consider building the computer yourself, as this can be more cost effective. Choose one of the following questions sets to address.

Describe three considerations, that you've learned about this week, when researching hardware integration.

What strategy would you use to determine which system would be less expensive: pre-built or custom-built?

Describe your experience with building a computer from scratch or what you'd expect to encounter if you have never built one.

4. File Storage and Management

Managing files and folders may seem like mundane work, but file storage and management is one of the most critical operations a technician can master. As we've discussed in previous discussions, people can get very upset when they can't access their data. No matter how much a computer costs, the data is generally far more valuable. Files come in various formats, but ultimately they break down to 1's and 0's.
Describe a way that you would arrange data so files are easy to locate and back up.

What would you tell users about securing their data after the lessons that you've learned this week?

How would you safeguard your own data?

5. Your Certification Goals

Security is something we all need to think about. Not only do we have physical security concerns, such as home security systems, ID badges, fingerprint scanners, and security guards working in the lobby, but we also have to worry about what's known as "black hat" hackers. That name originated from the bad guys in old western movies. The black hat hackers are the bad guys of the computer world. They want to hack into your computer systems to steal, monitor, and/or damage your systems.

Another group of hackers are called the "white-hat" or "ethical" hackers. These people use the same techniques as the bad guys, but they do it openly and share the security vulnerabilities that they locate. As a result, the vulnerabilities can be shut down and/or "patched". It's as if you're hiring a burglar or a police officer to check your home for easy entry points for burglars to gain access. When they tell you what they've found, they add a stronger lock or an alarm system to increase the security of your system. Right now, you're likely concentrating on your A+ certification. CompTIA has other certifications. The security certification they offer is called Security+ and may be relevant to your goals.

Go to the CompTIA website and review the certifications.

Locate the ones you find interesting; in a few sentences, discuss how you think you might use them on the job.

What is the purpose in certification? Why should you obtain certification? If you're not interested in certifications, explain why and what you plan to do to make yourself more marketable when you graduate.

6. Identify and Revisit

You've come a very long way in a short amount of time. You've learned a lot this week and all the weeks leading up to it. Inventory in your mind all the things you know now, that you didn't know before you took CIS 106 and CIS 312. Now, you should be extremely knowledgeable, perhaps even identifying yourself as a computer expert.

Revisit some of the areas where you didn't feel very confident. Take a look at your grade book and concentrate on where you scored lowest in the simulations. Then, as soon as you're done with this week's labs, go back and start studying previous lessons to prepare for your final exam.

In a few sentences, describe the areas where you felt a little less sure of yourself. Consider asking your classmates for pointers.

Identify a few study tricks that you use to prepare for exams and share these with your peers.

Identify an area that you initially struggled in and describe how you overcame it.